Chapter 221

At my words, Varen stared at me blankly. He only blinked a few times before answering hesitantly.

"So that's how it is. Humans are still students at eighteen. I am a dragon, so...."

"If someone's going to be reborn anyway, huh? Then they should be born human, do what they want, go wherever they want!"

"R-right...."

What would it be like if Berry were reincarnated as a human? The ridiculous thought filled me with strange excitement.

He had died before even reaching adulthood by human standards, but if he were reborn, I hoped he would live healthily to a hundred.

Back then, he had lived the kind of life where he could only even go for a walk if I took him outside myself, but if he were reborn, I hoped he could roam the whole world freely.

Go to school, make friends, and most of all....

"Our Berry was neutered.... If he's reborn as a human, I'll absolutely get him married."

"What's neutered?"

"Something like that exists."

He had spent his entire life with his animal instincts suppressed, so if he were reborn, I hoped he could love as much as he wanted.

My thoughts about Berry drifted toward a rather strange conclusion.

Still, imagining Berry reborn as a human was unexpectedly pleasant.

Back in my old world, I would've flatly declared reincarnation didn't exist, but people got dragged into fantasy novels too, so why couldn't a dog be reborn as a human?

Just indulging in this fantasy made Berry's absence feel lighter inside my chest. Instead of grieving his death, I found myself able to look forward to a new beginning.

A faint smile spread across my lips. But Varen kept pestering me with the same question.

"Tell me, Ceryl. What exactly does neutered mean?"

"......"

"Is it the name of some species?"

Since I refused to explain the meaning, Varen started muttering the word to himself, trying to infer it on his own.

Hearing him casually repeat the word made me strangely uncomfortable.

Then suddenly, an old memory surfaced.

Back when Varen first went into heat and lunged at me in the forest. At the time, I had gnashed my teeth, swearing I would absolutely get this bastard neutered.

"Haah... this is frustrating. Ceryl, tell me what neutered means."

I stared quietly at Varen, who had now become my proper mate, before finally speaking.

"You'll never spend your life neutered."

Not that there was any proper equipment for it anyway.

For a brief moment, the thought crossed my mind that it was fortunate I hadn't ended up neutering my future dragon mate.

Varen tilted his head, unable to understand what I meant.

My face grew hot for no reason, and I fanned myself with my hand before pushing myself to my feet. Then I held out my hand toward Varen, who looked up at me with sulky eyes.

Even while pouting at me, Varen immediately grabbed the hand I offered him. Grinning, I walked ahead of him.

"Ughh, that was some proper healing."

A few hours ago, I had sounded like stress alone might kill me, but now my voice felt light enough to float away.

As though he had forgotten he was upset, Varen quickly started smiling again as he walked beside me.

Before I noticed, the sun had completely set, and bright moonlight poured through the dim forest.

While heading back toward our private lodging, Varen suddenly asked, as though something had just occurred to him,

"Ceryl, if that child were reborn as a human, how would you recognize him?"

At Varen's words, I abruptly stopped walking. I seriously considered the lighthearted question.

Good point. If Berry were reincarnated as a human, would I be able to recognize him?

He had been a sturdy, handsome Jindo mix, so naturally he'd be good-looking. His proportions had been excellent too, so he'd probably be tall as well.

I had just begun vaguely sketching out an imaginary image of Berry when I met Varen's eyes and immediately erased the fantasy forming in my mind.

Then I snorted softly and turned to face him.

"I think I'd recognize him instantly."

"Really?"

The moment I looked at Varen, a powerful certainty welled up inside me.

Whether he had been a gigantic golden dragon or a blond, handsome man, those eyes deep and blue as the sea had remained exactly the same.

The Varen before me wore a human form, but his soul was still that of a pure magical creature.

Maybe that was why the gaze directed toward me held not even a speck of falsehood, only unwavering trust and affection.

"I'm sure of it. I'd recognize him just by his eyes."

"Then that's a relief."

Varen accepted my baseless certainty without the slightest doubt.

Meeting those eyes that always reassured me, I smiled warmly.

***

With Theo at the forefront, the rebel base moved swiftly into action.

Like a group united by a single purpose, they worked together seamlessly without needing words.

The rebels had spent years preparing to infiltrate the royal palace and approach King Laskar. However, they had never acted recklessly before now.

"It's not that we waited because we weren't prepared. We simply judged that the time wasn't right yet."

"Mm, I see."

I let Theo's painfully obvious lie slide without difficulty.

The reason the rebels hadn't actively pursued their final goal was probably because the insect wearing Adeline's skin had been acting as their leader.

Nobody seemed willing to speak her name aloud, so I pretended not to notice too.

At dawn, when the sky had only just begun to lighten, the people who had packed their belongings gathered in the center of the base. Around fifty people stood there with packs slung over their shoulders.

They planned to split into groups of three or four and head toward military forces stationed across different regions.

Their role was to naturally infiltrate the regional armies, gather information there, and sabotage the military when the uprising began in the capital.

That was why the groups were composed mainly of young men. Most of the rebels' combat personnel were included.

The only people remaining at the base now were the middle-aged men forging weapons and the women managing the organization's daily operations.

Theo saw each departing member off personally, offering encouragement one by one.

Through Rami, I sent news of the situation here to Noance. Everything gathered by Swan and Crow, along with the rebels' activities centered around Theo. I tightly rolled up the densely written paper and tied it around Rami's neck with a ribbon.

If possible, I wanted to communicate with Noance in real time, but the group searching for the river spirit seemed extremely busy, and contact was difficult.

I decided to believe in my companions and wait, telling myself that no news was good news.

After so many people departed, the rebel base felt emptier, but those who remained busily carried out their respective roles.

And the elite few who would infiltrate the royal palace gathered inside Noance's tent. The one actively leading the group was Morpha.

With a single gesture, they transformed into a silver-haired young man. Their skin was pale enough to seem bloodless, and their beauty made their age impossible to guess.

Everyone inside the tent fell briefly silent at the naturally breathtaking appearance.

"I've transformed into Beloan of the Litmus family. This man is King Laskar's personal physician."

Morpha introduced themselves while lightly indicating their own chest.

Then they placed a palm atop the heads of Varen, Theo, and me in turn.

One by one, we transformed into new appearances. Our heights varied, but we all shared the same long silver hair and pale skin.

"All of you are members of the Litmus family and my sons. Once we enter the royal palace, I will handle all communication. Therefore, you will keep your mouths shut and follow only me. Understood?"

Morpha's words sounded gentle yet firm, like those of a kindergarten teacher. But their voice and tone were coldly subdued.

Most of all, the glare they directed at Varen was downright terrifying.

It carried a stern warning not to act outside the plan under any circumstances.

I kept fiddling with my long silver hair. It was my first time ever having hair this long, so even moving felt awkward.

Varen's hair, on the other hand, had actually become shorter than usual. His height and build were also slightly smaller than mine.

It had been nice carrying around child-sized Varen before. I smacked my lips regretfully at the pointless thought.

At that, Varen raised a brow and looked at me. His appearance gave off a cold impression unfamiliar to me, but warmth still filled those blue eyes.

"New appearances always feel strange."

Apparently uncomfortable with his transformed form, Varen fussed restlessly with his clothing.

I stared directly into his glittering eyes. Looking down at him slightly because of the difference in height gave me a strangely peculiar feeling.

When I wrapped an arm around Varen's shoulders and pulled him close, the way he fit neatly against me felt oddly stable.

I rather liked his rounded shoulders too, and the back of his neck that fit into one hand made my mouth water for some reason.

As I kneaded him here and there, Varen slowly backed away with a wary expression.

"W-why are you looking at me like that, Ceryl?"

"Like what?"

"Your eyes are a little...."

I didn't care what outward form he took. Just looking at his eyes was enough for me to know he was Varen.

Even so, I kept wanting to touch this altered version of him.

Last time, he had shrunk so dramatically that he only felt like a child, but now that he was merely somewhat smaller, I couldn't stop wanting to handle him.

I grabbed his hand on impulse. It fit entirely within one of mine. When I started absentmindedly kneading it, Varen's expression twisted fiercely.

"Ceryl, do you like this body?"

"No... it's not that...."

"Then why do you keep touching me?"

"I don't really know. But now I understand why you're always clinging all over me every day."

Normally, Varen touched me constantly whenever he got the chance, kneading me like dough. Meanwhile, unless we were doing adult things, I rarely touched him first.

Whenever I did, all I felt was frighteningly hard muscle. He felt like a boulder, so my hands never naturally reached for him.

"Tsk, wow. This is satisfying to touch."

At my muttered comment, Varen shook his head.

"Haah... Morpha, change me back. Make me the biggest one."